setting things right
by Tenshi of the Dark
Summary: When Jacob is on the brink of running away from everything...including his feelings for Bella, it's Leah who comes throught to save him. Bad summery, good story


**Okay, I am not a big fan of Twilight but I kinda wanted to write a short story just to write a story. Feel free to comment if you ever happen to stumble across this little one-shot of mine. But if you didn't find this story, then you wouldn't be reading this stupid intro to the story. Comments appreciated again. **

**Disclaimer: Do I look like Stephanie Myer to you? Wait, you can't see me...well, either way, I don't own Twilight.**

**This is a Jacob and Leah piece. Set right before Jake decided to leave La Push. When he and Leah had had that conversation in Eclipse but re-written. One shot.**

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**Jacob P.O.V**

"Jeez, kid, aren't you over that Leech lover yet?" I didn't need to turn around to know that it was Leah behind me. Pissed of as I was, I actually felt suprior. Annoying Leah might get me off my whole self-pitying crap of a mood.

"Jump off the cliff, Leah," I said, nodding to the drop directly at my feet. Like everybody else in the pack, she knew that I didn't want anybody with me right now...ecpecially her. I gritted my teeth and huffed a breath threw my teeth.

"Funny, Kid, really amusing," She snorted and I heard her come closer. She knew that I came here to be_ alone _and that I wanted to stay here day and night _alone. _But she was gonna stay here whether or not I approved. Stupid self absorbed barbie doll. God, she was more annoying then the Blondie with Bella's new...fiance. The thought stuck to my brain and started to saw my head in half. Bella's wedding was sippose to be soon but I didn't know. Why the hell would I attend the wedding of someone who had stolen the Love of my life from me? Leah sat down next to me, laying flat on her stomach. I use to remember thinking that she was beautiful..exotic and apporacable. Tha ws..before she started to get all bitchy.

She growled like she had heard that. Her hair fell to her back and she glared at me from behind her curtain of hair.

"Really, you are acting like this leech lover was in love with you," She scoffed," Grow up, kid. She is gonna marry that..that bloodsucker and she is gonna turn in to one of them. Sh's already as good as dead. Quit being so self-obsorbed, kid, can't you tell that you are hurting somebody else besides yourself?"

"She..she was in-in love with me," I said weakly, already feeling the heacache from hearing Bella's name. Damn Leah." Why don't you go annoy Sam?" I shot at her. Hearing Bella's name lashed out at my already broken heart and strangled it. Leah smiled, well, more like grimaced but it was close.

"That was what I wanted to talk to you about," She said, suddenly sounding hesitant, almost embarrassed. What game was she playing with me? " I wanted to talk to you about that...,"

"I don't give a crap what the hell you think of Sam," I snorted," I don't need to hear anymore fawning over Sam from you. I hear it enough when we are in wolf form. Get over it, Leah. He loves Emily...loves her like he never loved ypu. Get over it. They are about to get married. Sam's moved on. You are the only one who hasn't let go." Her eyes narrowed instantly and she drew out a hiss in between her teeth.

"Don't tell me what to do, Black," She spat," Don't give me all the shit about me being self-obsorbed when you are hurting Bella," She sneered out the name and suddenly it was all I could take.

"Go annoy somebody else,' I said in her face," Somebody who cares. Wait, nobody cares!"

"Like you would know. You have been keeping to yourself for th past week. S-Sam is worried about you but he told us not to go after you. Can't you tell how much pain this causes me?" That drew a snort out of me at her ego. She was on her feet now, vibrating with the effort of controlling her temper.

"You? You have go to be the most self-obsorbed person in the world, Leah! What the hell do you do in this..in my life!" I was yelling back in her face now and neither of us flinched away. This was why Leah was tough, I had to admit, I had to be grudgingly impressed. Leah never really did back away from a challenge, no matter how big the other person was. But that was also why she had a problem In a way, she was like a second Paul. And it felt good to take out all of my bent up fury on somebody.

"If you just look at it from my view, Jacob...,' That was as far as she got before I gave a loud burst of laughter, not really amused but more harsh.

"you? Everybody is already tired of hearing you complain. Nobody wants you hear! Nobody cares. And it is none of your business what is happening in my life!"

"It does when it happened to me before!" She yelled back. That actually shut me up for a while before I remembered how to shut my mouth properly. Leah breathed heavily and her arms trembled as she struggled to mantain her humn form. I felt a little smug because I didn't even have to worry about it anymore. I could do it naturally now and I didn't even feel it now.

"what...the...hell..?" I managed out. Leah shot me a look that burned with venom. I would have flinched back if I had cared.

" You would have known if you have bothered to pay any attention to what I had said before," She hissed. I ignored that jib and removed my cast, readying myself for the fight that was sure to come. Leah wasn't one to hold back and I knew firsthand what kind of temper she had when she got pissed. Worse then Paul, she was. She was like a smaller version o Paul, only feminine-like.

"oh, so now I am Paul. Damn it, Jacob, I just came here to talk," She growled out from inbetween her teeth. I was right about the fight part. I could actually see what was going in on her mind.

" I guess that the Diplomatic approach is screwed. Well. then the only thing to do is to knock some sense into the thick brain of yours," She sighed and the next second, she had pounced. Damn, that girl was fast. She rolled into me and had her arms around my neck in the same move.

" Now are you propared to listen?" She hissed angrily.

" Get off of me," I growled and kicked her down. She landed hard on her back and lept back up.

" Dammit, Jacob, why the hell do you have to be so stubborn. Why don't you just listen for once in yours stupid life?" She didn't attack and I was throughly disappointed. I wanted a fight now more then ever. I was actually despite for a fight to get away from all of it.

" If I protend to listen then will you freaking back off?" I growled. A ghost of a smile twisted on her lips.

" Maybe," She said. I figured that it would be the best I would get and settled down, feeling uncomfortable when she sat down next to me.

"Jacob...you know that I loved Sam,' She began and I groaned inwardly at the starting sentence,' And when he fell in love with my cousin, I somehow felt like he had betrayed me. And..I was mad at both of them for it...Sam and Emily. I hated them both for it. I refused to let go of Sam and... I hurt all of us in the end. I ended up hurting him." She took a breath and looked at me steadily," I know...everyobdy knows that You love Bella and she..well, she maybe use to love you but in the end, she chose somebody else. You need to let her move on...or lose her as more then just someone to be with. You might lose them both for the rest of your life."

I was actually listening to her now. This wasn't anything like I had thought. And when did heartless Leah suddenly know everything about love? Her lips curved into a scowl but that was all she did.

" What do you mean?" I asked rereluctantly." I won't lose Bella..."

" Not yet," She agreed," But if you don't let go of her, then she'll never be happy and she'll always feel guilty for that...that she made you unhappy. She won't be able to talk to you anymore..not even as a friend and you'll hurt her more then you hurt yourself."

" How do you know all of this?" I demanded. Her lips thinned out..sort of vulnerable.

" I have expericnced it before," She replied.

" Right, stupid question," I agreed but added," So...how did it affect you three?"

" Well, at first I just thought that Sam was pulling my leg so I laughed it off. Then, I knew that Sam was telling the truth. And...he broke his promises..he broke my heart. And I hated him for it. I thought that maybe Emily would dump him for breaking me..but she didn't. She was happy...there was always a light in her eyes and she was always smiling. She had lived my life. And...I hated them both for it. But..I guess that underneath it all..I never let go of Sam. I knew that I was selfish..I knew that I was hurting him..but I held on. I hoped that he would come back...that he would explain everything. After becoming a wolf, I knew how guilty Sam was about all of it. He wanted us to come to an understanding but I blocked him out...I blocked everybody out. Emily tried to apologize but I wouldn't let her. I wanted them to knew the pain they had caused me...I wanted someone to share this pain with...," Her voice faltered and I saw her frame shake even though her head was bowed, her arms crossed around her legs.

" So, Sam was guilty, I was mad and Emily felt like crap. Even now, I couldn't let it go. I don't think that I'll ever have the nerve to go into thier lives again. It's too late for me to repair our friendship...me and Sam and Emily but for you...Jake," I gave a start when she called me by my nickname," Her wedding is in a week, go there. Straighten everything out, okay? Fix your friendship with her. It might be too late for me but for you...you don't need to be alone. Having Bella as a friend will be good enough, right? If it makes her happy?" She stood up and began to walk away.

" Think about it okay?" And she was gone.

Argggh! Dammit! Why couldn't she act all bitchy towards me already? I could deal with that Leah pretty good but...caring Leah? What planet had I landed on? That was how I spent the rest of the day, scratching me head and cursing Leah for putting me in such a weird positon. I mean...Belaa would get hurt if I didn't move on? I didn't want to hurt her but...I couldn't go to her wedding. That would be like giving up everything I had worked to establish. I couldn't do it...

Maybe not even for Bella.

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**The next day**

Suprise, suprise. The gang was all at the beach the next day. I suppose that I really shouldn't be suprise. It was summer but I meant the entire pack...including Sam and Emily. Emily had on a bathing suit as far as I could tell from her head popping out of the water. The whole unmarked side of her face was smiling.

" Hey, Jake! I'm so glad that you could come!" She sounded really pleased and that pissed me off. There was only one person who wasn'tjoining i on the huge get together by the pack. Leah was at the other side of the half of the beach we were on. Seh was lying back on a towel, staring depressingly out towards the water. Sam looked towards Emily and they shared guilty looks. I supposed that Leah looked good, I mean, a couple of human men were already checking her out from the other side of the beach.

" Hey, Jacob, did you think about what I had said yesterday?" She said without looking up. She held a hand to shield her face. Seh turned partly and faced me.

" Yeah, well I've thought about it,' I said finally. She waited for me to continue." I won't run away like I was planning," I said finally.

" That's good," Seh said bitterly," I did that." She pursed her lips and continued," Are you gonna go to her wedding"

" I don't think I can," I said through gritted teeth," I can't throw everything away and make the bloodsucker get the pleasure to see me at his damned wedding. I can't lower myself to that."

She was silent and she stood up. " Jacob...okay," She sucked in a deep breath and said," I have been where you are and look at what has happened. Don't think of it as his wedding. Think of it as hers. Don't you want to be tehre for her as her best friend on more time?" I couldn't answer that.

" Why the hell are you helping me?" I demanded," Last time I checked, you weren't so keen to help anybody!" She sighed again and looked over my shoulder at something. When I looked back, I saw the whole gang staring at us with slightly bemused looks. Emily looked...kinda hopeful.

" I don't know why I want to help you. I hate Bella Swan and her idiot bloodsucker. But I guess I feel like I have to atone after you saved me from that newborn attack. I always repay my depts." She grabbed a bagel and shoved it in my mouth whole. I glared at her the best I could with my mouth full of the bagel. Seh calmy took another piece and shoved it in my mouth as soon as it was free.

" Now, shut uop and listen,' She hissed," I may hate Bella but this concerns me as well. I said _shut up_," She seized another bagel and shoved it it," Unless you get over her, my mind is gonna be full of Bella, Bella, Bella so I need to hepl you get over her. So you are gonna go to her wedding but...," She thought for a second an sighed," So I'll go with you." Before I could put in a word, my mouth was full of hot gooey substance, a glazed dounut. " And I will drag you if I have to. Anything It takes for you to go. Even if I have to go as well."

" Leah...STOP SHOVING DOUNUTS IN MY MOUTH, DAMN IT!" I turned around and walked back to Seth and Quil.

" What's up with her?" Quil asked, nodding to Leah.

" How the hell should I know?" I snapped and went into a brooding mood. Ddammit, now Leah was gonna make me go to Bella's wedding. That ws...nice of her, which was why I was suspicous. Leah wasn't nice or friendly but she was the only option that I had. Could I swallow my ego for the night? Was my problem. I didn't think that I would be able to go the whole night without snapping at some leeches. But one more chance to see Bella..to be tehre rfor her as her best friend one more time...

I gritted my teeth to keep myself from trembling. I could do that, I could go one night and be her best friend...

for her. She would always be the right one for me but she had somebody else. And, for one more time, she would have her best friend. Now what to do about Leah...

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**A week later**

Dammit! I had been dreading this day for days now but I had to do it. For Bella. For her happiness. Billy was wheeling into my room and his wheels made a very irratating noise.

" Leah's at the door for you. Try not to get blood on the ground,' He said and wheeled himself out. How typical to thin that Leah was here to mash my brains out. Actually, I wouldn't mind that very much. To die, fianally and move on with the rest of my crappy life. When I saw Leah, I felt my eyebrows go up. This wasn't Leah. Her hair was loose and curly and I saw a hint of red lipstick against her lips and mascara on her already curly lashes. The dress she wore was whit, sort of an oilly color that rippled and changed colors as it moved, falling to mid-calf in straight waves. The neckline was simple, showing skin in an x on the upper part of her back. I had only seen Leah dress like this in the pictures that Sam had shown me that he hadn't burned.

" Put that jaw of yours back in place, put on a jacket and let's get the hell out of here," She snapped. She may be dressed differently but she was still the same bitchy Leah she always was. Good because that was what I had learned to expect out of her. I grabbed a jacket and followed her around back where there was a limo.

" Leah, where'd you get the limo?" I asked.

" Urgh! Seth called the fortune-telling bloodsucker and she sent this to pick us up," She cussed under her breath, calling Seth names I had never heard of before. Finally, with great reluctance, she stepped in the limo and barked at the driver to stop staring and to hurry up.

" Aren't you in a good mood today,' I said.

' Shut up," She snarled," I'm about to sniff Blood-sucker stench for a girl I hate. How do you expect me to feel?" I didn't answer, working on making sure that I didn't do something that I would regre later. My throad felt somehow dry and sharp pricks pinched my arm. I realized that I was gripping my upper arm so hard, I nearly drew blood. I gritted my teeth and stared out the window.

Damn Bloodsucker..

Damn Leah...

But I had to do this for Bella. This would be my gift for her. I would be the friend she had never had for the last time before I quit her forever. Quit her cold turkey. A strange smell wafted in my noise, sort of flowery and sweet. I turned to Leah.

" What the hell are you wearing?" I demanded. She scowled.

" I told mom that I was going to the prom," She said in a low voice," I told her that I had a date and used my damned money to buy this dumb dress and mom insisted that I wear this perfume. It's called 'essance de la beauté, Mom said that I had to wear it before she let me go," She growled again and kicked the feet in frustration.

' I didn't know that you cared that much about me saving my friendship with Bella. I thought that you hated her,' I said dryly.

" I do hate her but, like I said, I have a dept that I have to pay and I always repay my debts. And...And it's the least that I can do for what you have done for me," She added so quickly I barely caught it.

" So the icy queen does have a heart," I announced. She glared at me and smacked the back of my head so hard, I felt some tendons stand out.

' Remember that this is only a one time thing so don't expect me to help your ungrateful life again,' She said and then we were there. The limo pulled out front and I could see that we were late. Lights were already blazing in the huge backyard that the bloodsuckers had decorated. Cars were parked everywhere within a three mile radius so we ended up walking. The closer that we got, the more discustingly strong the scent of bloodsuckers got. I saw Leah wrinkle her nose in disgust.

"Uh...you aren't gonna kill any of the bloodsuckers, are you?" I demanded. Her hand twitched.

' Not unless that blond one crosses me or that stupid fortuneteller girl. Her, I want to give a piece of my mind," She said truthfully. I snorted and fell back in step. Bile rose in my mouth as I took in all of the decerations. This could have been my wedding with Bella but no..she had chosen the alcohol with she could have had her own personal sun. Focus, I thought. No, I wasn't gonna get in a fight with her today. Today was her big day and I wasn't gonna mess it up for her like I screwed everything up.

A sharp sickly sweet smell came closer and closer. Leah opened her mouth in a hiss. It was the fortune-telling bloodsucker and her boyfriend or whatever. Dispite the high heels, she danced quickly in front of us, smiling though her nose was wrinkled. Her boyfriend stayed behind. Leah stiffened and clawed her hands up.

" Good, you could make it. I have to thank Seth for telling me before hand and _ohmygosh_, your dress is amazing! And you guys are a little late but-'

Leah held up a hand in her face." First off, don't ever send that damned limo to pick me up again and for two, if you think that I am here because I actually like Bella Swan, then you ar eas airheaded as Blondie."

" Even so, you brought Jake here and...you two need to go!" She danced away." C;mon Jasper! I have to check something." She grabbed his arm and they disappeared. Leah make a sharp click of her tongue.

" Well, go in there and make everything okay with your stupid girl and I'll try not to kill some bloodsuckers," Without waiting for my answer, she walked away, getting stiffer and stiffer with every step that she took. I took steps forward, taking everything in. My mind seemed to move in slow motion. I took in my surroundings but I was looking for her...one last time to see her...

And there she was! So beautiful. She was wearing a white dress with pearl buttons up her back, cut in a sort of lily formation with a small train. Her face was flushed but more out of happyness then embarressment. And her arm was hooked around her bloodsucker husband. The look she gave him was so sickeningly sweet, I almost turned back right there. No, I couldn't do it. Seeing me would only make her unhappy. I couldn't do this. My heart thudded but in those few moments, the bloodsucker had noticed me. He whispered something to Bella and I saw her lips fall in a soft 'O' before she saw me.

I walked forward slowly towards them. Couples filed out to dance around me and I caught more then one bloodsucker stink.

" Jake! Oh, JAKE!" Bella sobbed as she fell on my shoulder. I wrapped an arm around her automatically, gritting my teeth. My heart ached for the impossible...bit no, I had to be good now. Stay away from her. This was my last gift to her...from her best friend. The bloodsucker felt to dance with his sister and it was only me and Bella. We revolved slowly on the spot with me leading because she seemed frozen.

" I can't believe that you came," She whispered," I thought that you were gonna ignore your invatation but you..you're here...," She gave a dry sob.

" Really, Bella, you shouldn't cry on your wedding day," I said teasingly. But I wanted so badly to believe that those tears were for me, that she still cared...

" Everybody cries during weddings,' She sniffed," I-I'm glad that you are here Jake. Who talked you to your senses?"

' Leah," I said and she stiffened,' She tod me that-that I should make things right between us so that you don't have to worry about me during your life. She didn't want us to end up like her and Emily and Sam. In her own way, she really is nice. She's here with me, somewhere in a corner,' I told her. Her eyes glistened with tears again and she looked up and locked gaze with me.

' Well," She whispered," I guess Leah eally is better then I am. I managed to break your heart and it was her who healed you. I-i should really thank her. I should thank you, Jake, You've made this day perfect.' I felt like I couldn't get enough air in my lungs now. Dammit, Bella! She made it so hard to stay away from her but I had to. I slowly withdrew from our close embrace. I steeled myself for the final good-bye. Hopefully, this one would end up on a good note.

' Bella, I think that..,' I struggled and said," Bella, I can't be around you anymore. I-it's not good for both of us. And it's not fair to make you choice between the two of us and agonize over it anymore. Bella...I came here to be your best friend one more time..to make this day special..I-i hope that I succeeded.' She looked up at me slowly, tears threatening to fall. I wanted to comfort her, to tell her that I would never leave her but I couldn't. Our life just wasn't meant to be together and I had to stop torturing her.

" I understand,' She whispered," And I am so glad that you would come all this way to see my off on my wedding day. You are the best friend a girl could ever hope for, Jake. Please remember that." I leaned in and planted a small kiss on her forehead and her eyes closed, two tears falling down her cheeks.

" Good-bye, Bella and I hope you have a good life," I whispered. I turned to go and heard her say softly:

' Good-bye, Jake and...I'm sorry,' Tha was all I heard before she ended up choking on her tears. I wanted to turn back, to beg her to re-think but I couldn't. She was happy now and I couldn't take her happyness away from her anymore. I found Leah in a corner, looking torn from running, cussing or beating the crap out of the boys who dared stare at her too openly.

" Did you set everything right?" She asked. I nodded slowly. Bella's last words kept floating in my mind." Well, then..let's go..," She said briskly.

" Wait,' I said then asked slowly," Would you like to dance?" When her eyebrows furrowed I added,' You bought that dress for this. It's the least we can do at the wedding.' She sighed but stepped closer and then e revolved slowly on the spot. She turned out to be a pretty good dancer.

" I've jsut realized...What were you talking to Sam about just now?" I asked.

" I was setting everything right between us,' She said," I told him that I had moved on and told Emily that I was sorry. It'll take a while but I think that things can go back to normal now."

" You've moved on?" I asked. She nodded and when she looked up, there was a small smile on her face, the first one she'd ever given me. It was a real smile and it was sweet. The smile that I wanted to see forever. The kind that warmed you up from the inside.

'I guess that I've always had a hunch about having to move on," She said," I've just never had...I'e never needed to confront those suspensions before."

And she leaned forward closer, making the moment complete. One to remember...forever

Everything came out perfectly after all. I was content. And, for the first time, so was Bella.

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Urgh, fluff, much too much emotional stuff. I guess that my ending was too crappy but what can you do? Please reveiew.


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